2010 Volkswagen GTI 3-Door DSG

Same GTI goodness, but with an automated tranny—if you're into that.

The purpose of this review isn’t to wax poetic over the Volkswagen GTI yet again—although there surely will be some of that, so brace yourself—but rather to parse the performance of our latest tester to wear the GTI badge: a 2010 three-door model equipped with VW’s six-speed dual-clutch Direct Shift Gearbox. So let’s get to it.

Singing a Familiar Tune

Our Tornado Red GTI sped from 0 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds and hit 100 mph exactly 10 seconds later; the quarter-mile was covered in 14.7 seconds at 96 mph. A five-door, six-speed-manual 2010 GTI, the only other ’10 we’ve tested thus far, accomplished the same tasks in 6.3 seconds, 16.2 seconds, and 14.9 seconds at 96 mph while weighing a whole nine more pounds. Chalk up the negligible differences to a less-green engine in the three-door—it had 4000 more miles—as well as the DSG’s quicker shifts and launch-control function.

Given that the redesigned 2010 GTI isn’t much different mechanically from its 2007–09 predecessor—including the same 200-hp, 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder—the numbers are pretty similar here, too. For example, a 2009 five-door equipped with DSG exactly matched this 2010 model by hitting 60 in 6.1 seconds and posting a 14.7-second quarter-mile mark at 96 mph. The only outlier? A 2007-model-year DSG three-door we tested waaaay back in 2005 for a comparo, which was 0.5 second slower to 60. The discrepancy can likely be blamed on the older car’s lack of launch control.

Deliciously Good

Now that the numbers are out of the way, here’s where we wax poetic. The GTI, in any form, is a pure delight, something any hot-hatch shopper should sample, even if a car with higher horsepower (say, the 263-hp Mazdaspeed 3) is what would truly slake his or her thirst. The VW’s steering is light and precise, the ride-and-handling balance is among the best in the world, and the interior is fabulously turned out. (Go for the plaid cloth seats instead of our tester’s leather; spec’ing leather also nabs sport seats with bigger bolsters, but the base chairs are fine and much cheaper.) And the best part—the best part—is that all of it comes in a hugely practical hatchback body that starts at just $24,215 with the six-speed manual. Cargo room remains the same if you opt for the three-door, but we prefer the five-door layout for its easier rear-seat access, even if it does cost about $600 more.

But what about the extra 1100 bucks for the DSG? As you can see, the acceleration numbers aren’t much better, and not much beats the connection between driver and car—see what we did there?—you get with a traditional three-pedal manual. Plus, there’s the DSG’s awkward clutch engagement, where the car hesitates for a moment at step-off. Still, a manual can get tiresome in thick traffic, and the whip-crack shifts of a dual-clutch gearbox are mighty intoxicating. And fuel economy’s a wash; we got 24 mpg in each of the 2010 GTIs we’ve tested. Ultimately, we wouldn’t fault anyone for choosing the DSG over the manual, or vice versa. After all, no matter which transmission you choose, it’ll still be bolted into a GTI.

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*AccuPayment estimates payments under various scenarios for budgeting and informational purposes only. AccuPayment does not state credit or lease terms that are available from a creditor or lessor, and AccuPayment is not an offer or promotion of a credit or lease transaction.